What do you do?
What software do you use for it?

I do two or three scans every day with adaware, spybot and spyware doctor which are free, and AVG, XoftSpy SE and Regcure subscription programs.

When browsing I use firefox with noscript and adblock plus Plug-ins

And I run CC cleaner 2 or 3 times a week.

All the above keep my PC running quickly and OK (so far!!)

HIH - Craig

Many methods and programs that can improve/optimize PC performance but it all depends on what OS (Operating System) you use and how computer savvy you are (as you may cause harm to the computer if you're not careful but there's always System Restore or even reformating).

Some quick, easy methods:
- Free up disk space (there are other cleaning utilities available such as CCleaner which is completely free)
- Speed up access to data - Defragging (there a more powerful defraggers out there)
- Detect and repair disk errors
- Protect your computer against spyware
Read how here: http://www.microsoft.com/AtWork/getstarted/speed.mspx

You can adjust visual effects for increased performance (Windows XP)
More info here: http://www.xp-tips.com/disable-visual-effects.html
If you prefer the XP theme over the classical look have Use visual styles on windows and buttons ticked.

Disable unecessary applications through msconfig (Microsoft System Configuration Utility) to improve system startup
Read how here: http://www.netsquirrel.com/msconfig/index.html

Other methods include optimizing the Windows Registry, disabling unused Window Services, using particular applications,...etc...many ways, it all depends on how far you're willing to go...

I recommend you give this site a look:
Windows XP: http://www.tweakxp.com/
Windows Vista: http://www.tweakvista.com/
Contains many articles, and they also have a forum, so don't hesitate to seek assistance there.

I just brought a new one..LOL

Alex - How much empty space do you have on your system? I read that if your free space falls below the 50% mark, it will cause a degradation in performance. Can't remember where I saw that, but the fact stuck in my mind, at any rate.

I'd scan, scan, scan. You may have picked up a nastie that you don't want. I also defrag my registry once a week, which dramatically increases performance. I have a program called "PC Pitstop Disk MD" that I use for that. It helps a lot with performance, especially when I've been online a lot. If i'm remembering correctly, the trial version won't fix things for you - it only shows you the amount of registry fragmentation. I'd also try this cool little utility that's free from http://www.majorgeeks.com called "Disk Cleaner". It's very small and won't take up much space, but when my old (think ancient) PC bogs down and I can't get the regular disk-clean-up utility to launch, this one always does. The website above has tons of freeware and shareware, and I check there regularly to see what's new and recently released. Beware of some items there. I've had to totally restore my system due to some of them, but the user ratings and number of downloads will give you an good idea of the utilities to steer clear of. I hope this helps. If it doesn't, please PM me. I have a ton of resources that I use on regularly to keep this old thing running as well as it possibly can.

Cheri

P.S. How ya doin'? Haven't heard from you in a while. Take good care, my friend!!

It's not my own pc.
I helped a colleague clean up her pc, but I wanted to check if you people had some more ideas I could try.
Thanks for the replies.

Anytime, my friend. Take good care - Cheri

If you really want to increase your processor speed on a larger scale, you can overclock.

Overclocking, on a basic note, is increasing your core temperature to increase your core clock speed. Since this increase in temperature can cause damage, or even fires, heatsinks, fans, or H2C cooling must be attached. Overclocking may be performed on graphics cards, as well as other PC accessories.

Some intel processors, such as the quad core extreme, are factory overclocked, to give the ultimate speed experience.

For more detailed and laid out information/tuturials on overclocking, visit overclocked.org.

Good luck

Well, even with the heaviest of defense you can still get infected, it all depends on the sites you visit and how you visit them, you know allowing some scripts and ###### to load or smth like. There are alot of dangerous ###### that can infect just pay clicking the "x" to close down a pop up. Still it's good to have a good defense for the most part.
I run the following: AVG Anti-Spyware, SpyBot, kaspersky Internet Security, Ad-aware, Ccleaner, TuneUp Utilities, and with Firefox addons noscript and adblock.
They do a great job, but I still got a trojan at one point, but luckily it wasn't anything serious.

you could also try this http://speed-up-windows-pc.classes.cnet.com/ i did this and man does it help alot also if you have a gig or two of ram

Thanks for this tip. It really works & my PC is far faster than before

Like the classic look to it too...

This also a good tweak: http://www.adamsdvds.co.uk/tutorials/windo...orer/remove.php

Remove unwanted softwares, files. Do virus & spyware scanning and run disk defragmenter routinely.

on another note...

you may need to get more ram (internal memory sticks)... or perhaps a new graphics card...

on 2 occasions i 1st upgraded ram...pc went a lot quicker... then upgraded graphics and it really was quick...

1st: Check your system's processor if its core2duo or atlon dual core 3500+MHz
2nd: Memory should be 1GB at least so you could open lots of windows or programs simultaneously
3rd: If you have 80GB to 160GB and up HARD DISK try to partition it by 10GB TO 20GB. Your computer reads faster.
4th: Check your ISP if you have a good bandwidth.. 256k dsl or higher is preferable
5th: Your Video card must be atleast 128MB. Nvidea or Gforce is recommend esp for gaming.
6th: If you think you dont have this processors dont upgrade, better to buy new pc.